Sharing ideas and working together to create safe spaces in the Commonwealth

05/16/2011

﻿﻿﻿We recently heard about the two young ladies in Minnesota who hung themselves after being bullied for not fitting in and being overweight. That’s ridiculous that our children have to commit suicide due to another’s person’s bias and hatred.

A hate crime is any criminal act motivated by bigotry and bias. That bias can be based on racial, religious, ethnic, handicap, gender or sexual orientation prejudice. Through harassment, intimidation, or violence, hate crimes are an assault on our constitutional rights and our physical wellbeing. And they cannot be tolerated.

Crimes motivated by hatred and bias are among the most serious challenges to public safety our Commonwealth faces. The Patrick-Murray administration is committed to preventing, responding to and supporting the victims of hate crimes in every community.

Since 1991, Massachusetts has been aggregating data from local police departments on the number and nature of hate crimes reported in every one of the Commonwealth’s communities. For more information on these reports visit www.mass.gov/eops.

Ending hate crimes in our communities requires each of us to do our part. Raising awareness about hate crimes and the promotion of non-violent, tolerant attitudes are the most important tools we have to improve the safety of all Massachusetts citizens.

During a discussion with the directors of the Governor's Advisory Council on Veterans' Services (GACVS) and Governor’s Council to Address Sexual and Domestic Violence (GCSDV), Lt. Governor Tim Murray tasked us with convening a joint working group on military sexual trauma. Assistant Secretary of Veterans Services and Coleman Nee and I pulled together interested members of both Councils, as well as representatives the National Guard, the Veterans Administration, MA Department of Public Health, and community based service providers such as the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center to address and better meet the needs of Massachusetts residents who have experienced Military Sexual Trauma.

These meetings have been the first statewide attempt to engage a wide array of interested participants––military/civilian, private/public, governmental/NGOs, medical/legal––to embark on an on effort to identify obstacles and systemically address the needs of men and women in Massachusetts who are dealing with the short and long term effects of Military Sexual Trauma. From the beginning a supportive, respectful tone has led the group to familiarize each other with the very different history, culture, policy and procedure development of the civilian sexual assault movement and the military response to MST, thus beginning to bridge these two bodies of work. The Joint Working Group has provided a safe and positive learning environment to address the complicated issues that arise.

In June, we held the 2nd Annual Massachusetts Women Veterans Conference. US Asst. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Tammy Duckworth was the keynote speaker at this gathering of several hundred women vets in June at UMass Medical Center. Members of the joint working group provided assistance in planning and day-of leadership presenting a panel on Military Sexual Trauma and available supportive services. Further outreach to community-based civilian support services ensured that the “Resource Area” was informative, broad-based and diverse.

This spring, the MST Joint Working Group will embark upon a series of discussions with several “groups” in the National Guard that specifically work with MST survivors including, Chaplains, JAG Corp and Mental Health providers. The goal is to further build the network to support survivors of MST and to prevent MST.

A few weeks ago, as I was walking out of our monthly command staff meeting, I checked the voicemail messages on my personal cell phone. I had a message from someone at the Department of Correction. For a second, I forgot that it was my personal phone, and I was thinking that it was a State Police-related matter; it would not be at all unusual for me to get a call from another EOPSS agency.

However, as the message went on, I realized what it was about: it was the Victim Services Unit, calling to tell me that an inmate’s custody status was changing. I am registered with the Victim Services Unit to receive information about an inmate. I have worked in law enforcement and the courts for over 20 years, and would never have thought that experiencing a criminal case not as a professional, but as a “civilian,” would be such an intense experience. As the matter proceeded, I came in contact with local police, victim witness advocates, assistant district attorneys, court personnel, a judge, and the DOC Victim Services Unit. The experience gave me an entirely new perspective, and great appreciation, for the work done every day by those who work in the criminal justice system.

The DOC Victim Services Unit plays a vital role in addressing the needs of individuals involved in criminal cases. The Victim Rights Law provides for victims, witnesses, family members of homicide victims, and parents or guardians of minor aged victims to receive notification upon request. Registering as a victim is a simple process—I received a form from the victim witness advocate in court, filled it out and returned it to them. I now receive a telephone call, and then a follow up letter, each time the inmate is transferred to lower security. In addition, I will be notified when the offender receives a final release date, receives an emergency escorted release, escapes or dies. While extremely rare, escapes are the highest priority and properly certified victims are notified immediately. When an inmate is released, victims are notified in advance by the DOC as long as the victim has provided the department with updated contact information throughout the inmate’s incarceration.

The call I received on the day of the command staff meeting was from Jason, informing me that the inmate was being transferred. He explained the security level of the institution to which the inmate is being transferred. I had questions—what the particular custody status means, when the inmate would be eligible to be released. Jason answered my questions with clarity, professionalism, and compassion. I want to thank Jason, and all those who work with him, for the invaluable service that they provide.